AMEB · Grade 6

AMEB Grade 6 aural tests: practice and explanations

Grade 6 is where AMEB aural turns towards harmony. The clapping test is gone; instead you name the position of a major triad and recognise perfect and plagal cadences, alongside interval singing — now including the harmonic minor — and a longer two-part progression. Each test is played twice.

Interval

After the keynote, sing the note an interval above it, then name the interval (major or harmonic minor scale).

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The tests at Grade 6

Interval

After the keynote, sing the note an interval above it, then name the interval (major or harmonic minor scale).

After the keynote comes a note from the major or the harmonic minor scale; you sing it, then name the interval in full. The harmonic minor brings the minor third and minor sixth, so listen for the darker colour. Our trainer covers intervals up from the keynote in both scales, from the major second to the octave, playing the pair twice before you sing and name it. Compare major and minor thirds, and major and minor sixths, side by side until each pair is clear.

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Triad

Say whether a major triad is in root position, first or second inversion.

A major triad is played twice — in root position, first inversion or second inversion — and you say which. Only the position is asked at this grade, because the chord is always major. Root position sounds solid and complete; first inversion, with the third in the bass, sounds lighter; second inversion, with the fifth in the bass, sounds unsettled, as if it needs to move. Our trainer plays major triads in all three positions.

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Two-part

Hum or sing from memory the higher or lower part of a two-part progression (heard twice).

Four successive intervals in two parts, near middle C, played twice; you sing the upper or lower part from memory. With more notes to hold, the shape matters more than any single note. Our trainer starts with the key chord and your first note, plays both parts twice, then asks for one. If you know which part you'll need, follow only that line on the second hearing, and sing it back at the same steady pace.

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Cadence

After the tonic chord, name the cadence at the end of a short piece in a major key (perfect, plagal).

The examiner plays the tonic chord and then a short piece in a major key, twice, and you recognise the cadences in it: perfect (V–I) or plagal (IV–I). Our trainer plays the tonic chord and a short passage twice, then asks about the final cadence — in the exam, listen at every phrase ending. A perfect cadence has a strong sense of arrival; a plagal cadence is gentler, the 'Amen' of a hymn. More in our cadence guide.

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Tips for Grade 6

Name triad positions by the bass: root at the bottom is root position, the third is first inversion, the fifth is second inversion.
Sing 'A-men' over IV–I at the piano a few times; the plagal sound will stick.
In harmonic minor, sing up from the keynote to the sixth and to the seventh: the minor sixth sounds dark, the major seventh bright and close to the octave.
For four-interval progressions, memorise your part in two halves.
Practise cadences inside real pieces: stop at each phrase ending in your own music and name the cadence.

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A full Grade 6 mock, marked

The examiner runs every test in order, plays as many times as the board does and gives an estimated result, with where you lose marks.

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Questions people ask

What's the difference between a perfect and a plagal cadence?

Both end on the tonic chord. A perfect cadence comes from V (the dominant) and sounds strongly final; a plagal cadence comes from IV (the subdominant) and sounds softer — the 'Amen' at the end of many hymns. At Grade 6 these are the only two, both in major keys.

Do I name the chord as well as the position?

Not at Grade 6 — the triad is always major, so you only give its position: root position, first inversion or second inversion. Naming major or minor as well comes at Grade 7, and Grade 8 adds the diminished triad.

Is there a theory requirement at Grade 6?

Yes. From Grade 6, an AMEB practical certificate needs a theory corequisite: for Grade 6 Practical, a pass in Grade 2 Theory of Music or an accepted equivalent. Check the current AMEB Regulations for the details that apply to you.

Which intervals are added at Grade 6?

Intervals of the harmonic minor scale join those of the major scale. Measured up from the keynote, that adds the minor third and minor sixth to the major-scale set; the harmonic minor's major seventh is already there. Our trainer practises this combined set.

Independent practice. We are not affiliated with AMEB; the tests here are generated by our engine from the published format, not taken from the board's books. Mock marks are estimates — the examiner's judgement is final.